Applications can be made under one of three categories:

1. Joint workshops to discuss areas of potential collaboration, where Oxford and McGill research teams present their own data and showcase their own research capabilities. The maximum amount that can be requested for a workshop is £4,400. 

1. Pilot projects that can incorporate staff or doctoral student research visits. This category of application is appropriate where a joint research project has already been defined. Proposed projects can be at ‘proof of concept’ stage. It is expected that the preliminary data generated will be used to support external research grant applications that should be submitted within six months of the completion of the award. The maximum amount that can be requested for a pilot project or staff or student research visit is  £16,500. It is expected that this level of award would sustain a research project or visit of around two months duration.

1. Joint grant writing exercises, where funding is provided for travel and accommodation costs to allow McGill and Oxford researchers to co-locate for a short period of time to focus on drafting an external grant application for research funding. In the first funding round, applications under this category should only be submitted if the applicants feel that they are already able to progress directly to drafting an external grant application, without the need for a workshop or for pilot project funding to generate any additional data. The maximum amount that can be requested for a joint grant writing exercise is  £2,750.

Eligible Costs

Funds can be requested for:

• Return airfares between the UK and Montreal, and internal travel costs, for the applicants and collaborators listed on the grant. Air travel must be claimed at the lowest rate available, not to exceed full economy fare.
• Directly incurred costs of the research project, such as laboratory consumables and research participant reimbursement costs.
• Per diem costs  to cover accommodation and reasonable out of pocket expenses  (as a guide, it is expected that for a two month pilot project these costs would be in the range of  £100-150 or C$175-260 per day).
• Venue hire and costs of refreshments for workshops.

 Non-eligible Costs

• Salaries or stipend costs
• No visitor fees, student fees or bench or scan fees will be levied by either University on collaborative activities funded under this scheme
• Honoraria for guest lecturers
• Significant items of equipment (over £500 or C$900)

Review Criteria

A joint review committee with members from both Universities will review applications according to the following criteria:

1. Track record of the applicants

2. Quality and originality of the proposed activity, including the extent to which the proposed activity represents an additional gain on top of what could be achieved by each group on their own

3. Quality of the research environment in which the proposed activity will take place

4. Extent to which the proposed activity could not be supported by conventional means

5. Whether the proposed activity will be of benefit to many or just a few

The committee reserves the right to not award any grants in any one cycle, if they deem that the quality of the applications is not of the standard that they feel warrants the awards.

How to Apply

For each application, the applicants will need to send electronically:

• A completed application form
• Full CV  of the applicants including a list of publications in the last five years
• A shorter CV of  any listed collaborators (a publication list is not required)
• A budget including a detailed justification of all costs requested

Please e-mail applications to:

 nicholas.irving@clneuro.ox.ac.uk and richard.briere@mcgill.ca

Contact Information

Dr. Nicholas Irving 

Translational Neuroscience Research Portfolio Manager 

Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
University of Oxford
Level 6, West Wing
John Radcliffe Hospital
Email: nicholas.irving@clneuro.ox.ac.uk
Tel: 01865 234957